The Rest of the Story

This is my awesome family! Besides Jesus, the most beautiful gift of my life! We are a family of creatives, geniuses, and logical thinkers and working together we keep things moving. We may not have it all together, but together we have it ALL!

~MY MUSICAL JOURNEY~

Since the age of 8 when I picked up my first plastic play guitar in a hospital room, then at the age of 14 getting a real guitar, I began writing songs and haven’t ever stopped.

I’ve played music in church for most of my adult life, in coffee houses, women’s’ groups, praise and worship teams and personally, around Thanksgiving tables, Christmas trees and sang lullabies at night to soothe babies to sleep. The personal kind is my favorite.

For as long as I can remember, I have loved music. All kinds! I grew up with styles from Rock to Motown and Country, dancing in the living room of our house, singing and playing in the melodies and singing harmonies with my sister. My dad playing the harmonica. All of these memories and events in my life, shaped my love for music and the music I love to play and write.

There has been a downside to this musical journey, however, in that, I’ve struggled most of my adult life o giving myself permission to release the authentic sound, musically, that I was gifted to make. Yeah, me, the idealistic girl! This struggle has been a profound distraction, but after watching an interview with a very prominent country artist, I was encouraged to forge forward and release it!

In the video, the interviewer used the word “risk” and asked the artist to comment on the fact that people considered him a risk taker in his music. His answer was that he never considered it a risk but simply a willingness to heed the call. He explained that he didn’t mean it in a grand kind of calling, but a simple sense of where he’s supposed to be; where his heart and soul wanted him to go. And the willingness to seek out that journey seemed very natural to him.

His answer echoed a lifelong “yes” in my own heart to do the same; something that had been speaking to me my whole life.

I allowed the opinions of others and my own misguided expectations to derail me. But it came with a great price and consequence. Because of this experience, I write about it, to guide others so they don’t allow their life and purpose to do the same. There’s too much at stake, not to “heed the call”. I just happen to personally know the price and speak from that experience that it may bring life to others.

~MUSICAL EXPERIENCES IN THE CHURCH~

At the age of 16 while growing up in the Catholic Church, an experience that was very rich for me, I began playing the guitar and singing with another girl as part of the “guitar mass”. This was very popular in the 70’s as the Catholic Church was changing to appeal to the younger generation and break away from some formality.

My love for music and the arts has given me many opportunities to live out my musical passions including leading worship and ministering music in coffee houses, churches and women’s meetings and events. One of those opportunities includes the great privilege of overseeing the music ministry at Covenant Love Church, from 2004-2014, being apart of that ministry since 1998. I have since reconnected as oversight after a three-year break.

During my early years in worship ministry, along with an amazing team, I wrote and produced many songs that are part of the worship services at Covenant Love to present day.

My experience in Worship Ministry for over 20 years, turned my perspective of what God desires concerning worship, upside down! One of my paths is to communicate that perspective with worship leaders and teams and inspire them through my experience in that same area. My musical journey from choir member, to band member, the praise team leader to the shepherd of a worship ministry, affords me a wide array of perspectives that can be very helpful to every member of the team, no matter what role they fill. This awakening inspired THE WORSHIP LIFE Blog.

~WRITING/ BLOG~

Through those years I developed a deep desire to live a life that declares Jesus Christ, His love, and reconciliation not just sing about it. Although I certainly felt the call to celebrate, through my MUSIC, the wonderful life of freedom we’ve been given in the extravagant love of God, I also felt the stirring to bring healing and encouragement to others in their life of faith, relationships, ministry, and purpose through writing. This is where the blogging comes in.

At my core, I am a communicator, an exhorter, one who inspires and desires to awaken hearts and spirits. I love to encourage, provoke and inspire change and revolution in people’s personal lives and in our world. At the core of my music…. I am a songwriter! Can you see the theme here??

“Our dear friend, Psalmist, Crisie Hutchings breathes life, anointing, and freedom into every place she ministers. I was personally transformed by the presence of God as she ministered. Crisie carries a unique gift that exposes everyone to what it truly means to be overwhelmed by the Love of our Abba Father! Rarely, have I met someone so pure and uncompromising in her delivery of the word of God! Karen and I highly recommend this prophetic voice to all churches, ministries and deep gatherings! Get ready to be wrecked and astounded by this powerful voice! She is an oasis for the weary soul and a match stick for the Jesus fueled!”

~My Awesome Family~

I have a beautiful family! I feel like the most blessed woman in the world to be given the privilege of stewarding these incredible lives. I haven’t done it perfectly, but I have done it wholeheartedly! I have been married to my husband, John, for 38 years and share life with three, very unique grown children and world changers in their own right; Our beautiful daughter of 36 years and her thoughtful husband and college son [my one and only grand] and twin, professional wrestling sons of 33 years keep us laughing and hoping for that WWE! And of course, the family would not be complete without our little beagle, Buddy. THESE FOLKS RIGHT HERE KEEP MY HEART JOYFUL AND MY LOVE TANK FILLED!!!!

Crisie Hutchings is a wife, mother, songwriter and worship leader who writes, sings and speaks about Jesus, purpose and the love of God! She pens deep, honest songs, in prophetic tone, that declare the supremacy of Christ and wrestle with our questions about God, life and pain. Along with transparent inspirational writing and speaking, she weaves the story of her redemption and declares hope & love that transforms a world . Crisie and her husband, John share life w/ three adult children and their families. She leads worship at Covenant Love Church in Fayetteville, NC.